St. Clair Co. approve $500,000 for high-speed rail project

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EAST ST. LOUIS, IL (KTVI) - When complete, 284 miles of high speed rail track will connect St. Louis to Chicago with several stops in between.

Monday night, the St. Clair County board approved $500,000 local funding for the project, hoping it will convince state lawmakers to approve a stop in East St. Louis.

The money will come from sales tax collected by the St. Clair County Transit District. Five board members voted against offering local funding saying the county can find better ways to spend the money. Tuesday's public meeting will focus on the environmental impact of high-speed rail.